Gruesome footage shows cotton bud being removed from a patient’s ear

Gruesome footage shows wool from the end of a cotton bud entangled with wax being removed from a patient’s ear after becoming lodged there ‘for a few days’

• Anonymous patient presented themselves suffering hearing loss and earache 
• Wool tip completely detached from the stick, making eardrum severely retracted
• Mr Neel Raithatha extracted the mass at his  audiology clinic in Leicestershire  
• He’s previously removed a pen cap, earrings and an unidentified plastic object 

Disturbing footage shows a cotton bud being removed from a patient’s ear after becoming lodged for several days.

Neel Raithatha, who runs a private audiology clinic in Leicestershire, captured the revolting moment he removed the object.

The unnamed patient was struggling to hear properly and was suffering from an earache before seeking medical help. 

Grim: Anonymous patient presented themselves suffering hearing loss and earache – after the the tip of a cotton bud became stuck and compromised the eardrum  

Mr Raithatha discovered the wool had detached from the stick upon removing it from their ear, thought to be behind their symptoms. 

Commenting on the bizarre case, Mr Raithatha said: ‘The client attempted to self-clean their ear using a cotton bud. 

‘They felt they were not hearing too well and believed the cause to be impacted earwax.

‘This is not recommended as the cotton bud, itself, can further push in and impact any earwax present.

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‘The cotton wool was quite deep in the external auditory canal (ear canal) by using crocodile forceps, I gently prized it out.

‘It took about a minute, but it was a delicate procedure given the cotton bud was deep in the ear canal.’

The audiologist has previously removed a pen cap, earrings, twenty-two wax filters and an unidentified plastic object from an ear canal.

In November last year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) stressed that cotton buds should not be used to clean ears. 

Obstruction: The foreign mass can be seen blocking the canal prior to its careful extraction  

Did you know? In November 2017, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) stressed that cotton buds should not be used to clean ears

Clear: The patient’s hearing was fully-restored after the product was removed in full  

It admitted there is a ‘lack of evidence’ on the risks associated with using cotton buds but that they present a ‘potential hazard’ when used by patients to remove wax themselves.

Katherine Harrop-Griffiths, consultant in audiovestibular medicine and chairman of the guideline committee, said: ‘The general advice given is not to insert anything into the ear canal as it is self-cleaning.

‘The only cleaning needed is to gently wipe the conch of the external ear with a damp flannel over a finger.

‘Ear irrigation is an effective method of removing earwax.’ 

WHAT IS EARWAX BUILD-UP?

Earwax usually falls out on its own but, in some cases, it can become blocked.

It cannot be prevented as the wax is there to protect ears from water, dirt germs, infection and foreign bodies. 

You are more likely to suffer buildup if: 

• You naturally produce more wax
• You have hairy or narrow ear canals
• You are elderly because wax hardens with age
• You wear a hearing aid, headphones or earbuds as these push wax in further

Symptoms include earache, difficulty hearing, itchiness, dizziness, an ear infection and tinnitus.

You can try using over-the-counter wax softening drops or warm water to irrigate your ears.

If this doesn’t work, seek professional medical help in case of infection.

Source: Mayo Clinic

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